Overview
- Jace Watkins, 11, died on Dec. 27 after nearly a week in intensive care at Children's of Alabama in Birmingham.
- He became sick on Dec. 18, was checked by a doctor the next day, and suffered a seizure on Dec. 20 that led to hospitalization.
- Family posts and a GoFundMe said he experienced seizures and breathing difficulties and was at one point placed on a ventilator.
- Hueytown Intermediate School's principal remembered the fifth-grader as "a bright light," and the community held a prayer vigil and launched a fundraiser; funeral plans were not yet announced.
- Alabama health officials reported about 6.3% of ER visits were for flu-like illness for the week ending Dec. 21, and CDC data show rising respiratory visits and hospitalizations nationwide.